


Skinny Love

by OfficialStarsandGutters



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 05:30:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5278523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialStarsandGutters/pseuds/OfficialStarsandGutters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr prompt: Richie on a diet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skinny Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seazu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seazu/gifts).



> TW for unhealthy eating behaviour.

**Day One**

It's fine. He's fine.

He's had a few hunger pangs throughout the day, but that's fine. That's to be expected on any diet. He's great. He's not at all jealous of the creamy pile of mashed potatoes on Severin's plate as he's chewing through his – what? Which vegetable is this? Hard to tell, they all taste the same chopped and boiled and mixed together like this.

It's fine. He just doesn't look at the potato.

He can't help but look when Severin comes back from making tea during the Corrie break with a chocolate muffin. Richard watches with ravenous eyes as Severin peels away the paper and takes a bite. He happens to glance up and meet Richard's eyes as he does so, and he pauses awkwardly, mouth still wide around the muffin.

“D'oo oo 'ant 'um?” he asks Richard around the mouthful.

“ _No_. I'm on a diet,” Richard snaps, more irritable than he intends. Severin flinches.

“Sorry.”

“No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap.”

It's fine.

He's fine.

 

**Day Two**

“It's too early to be alive.”

“You think you're bad? I just got off a twelve hour shift at the hospital.”

“Ugh. Why aren't you at home?”

Victor just flashes him a brilliant smile in response, hooking his arm around Richard's and dragging him cheerfully along into a room that's full of, if Richard's very honest, what look to be middle aged mothers. They are all in Lycra. Then again, so is Victor.

They all smile dreamily at Victor, and he waves and gives hellos as they cross the room. Richie can't really blame them. He's sure that for some time after he first met Victor Trevor, gorgeous half Indian doctor with dark, curly hair to his shoulders and a boy band smile, that he probably looked that dazed in Victor's presence.

“What if I'm horrible at this?”

“You can't be horrible at yoga. It's not possible. Even pregnant women can do this. Just pick a mat and shut up. I'll be there to help with any of the poses you get stuck with.”

Victor's idea of 'help' turns out to be pulling Richard's ass back against his hips while helping him perfect downward dog. At this stage in his friendship with Victor, he's not even surprised. He doesn't quite have the right flexibility to get perfect form on all the positions, but it's much nicer than a morning spent in the gym.

“Well, how was that?” Victor asks as they're leaving. “Will you be joining me again?”

“Yeah actually, I just might.”

 

**Day Three**

Rehearsals are a busy whirlwind during which Richard doesn't even have time to consider eating, and thus the day passes without much ordeal. He ignores the welcoming glow of the McDonalds sign on his way home, walking swiftly past it and down to the steps to the tube station. The swaying of the train emphasizes the dizzy spinning of his head.

Hours later, in the dark of their bedroom, his stomach rumbles. Severin presses against his back, a hand slipping around to rest on the small bulge of his pudgy tummy.

“You're not even fat,” he says.

“Not yet, but I'll get fat if I don't do anything about it.”

Severin sighs, pressing a kiss to the back of Richard's neck. He doesn't push the issue any further. It's Richard's body, he doesn't get a say.

 

**Day Four**

Richard highlights sections of his script as he sips on a glass of red wine, scribbling down little notes about the director's changes or suggestions. The wine is totally and completely okay. In fact, it's good.

“A glass of red wine has the same effects as an hour in the gym,” he tells Severin.

“Yeah? So is that second glass giving you twice the effects, then?”

“Shut up.” Richard scowls, but Severin is too busy chuckling to take offense.

 

**Day Five**

“Faster.”

“I'm-” Pant. “Going-” Pant. “As-” Pant. “Fast-” Pant. “As-” Pant. “I-” Pant. “Can.”

“No, I think you can definitely go faster than that.” Sebastian laughs, turning and coming back to circle around Richard. Beyond a light sheen of sweat, he seems completely unaffected by their jog around the park. He's barely breathless, whereas Richard is a wheezy, sweaty mess. “Lift your legs higher.”

Richard glares at him. Sebastian grins broadly in response. He's in front of him now, jogging backwards as if it is the most natural thing in the world to him.

“Come on, Richie. You want to melt those love handles, you're gonna have to-”

Richard doesn't hear what he has to do. White dots spark across his vision. His ears are full of ringing, and then everything is fuzzy static as the world flips up sideways and tips him on to the ground.

“Shit shit shit Jim's gonna kill me.”

When he opens his eyes, Sebastian is hovering over him with an expression of concern.

“Thank fuck. Are you alright?”

“Ugh.” Richard moves to sit up, but Sebastian's hands on his shoulder stop him.

“Woah. Take it easy. You dropped pretty hard there. I just managed to stop your head cracking the ground.” Sebastian gives him a lopsided smile that is supposed to make him feel better, but Richard just feels sore and awful. “C'mon. Let's get you home.”

Sebastian helps him to his feet. Richard is still a touch dizzy, but once he's sure he's not going to faint again, they make their way to one of the gates. Sebastian gets him a cab home. Tells him to make sure he eats something.

 

**Day Six**

Melt in the middle chocolate puddings are half price at Marks and Spencer.

Rich, warm, moist, melt in the middle Belgian chocolate puddings. Half price.

Richard puts two packets in his basket.

That night, after he and Severin have had dinner and their delicious desserts, Richard stands in the bathroom with his shirt pulled above his ribs and his trousers low on his waist. He rubs his hands over the swollen bump of his stomach, and angry tears of frustration rise to his eyes.

 

**Day Seven**

Richard gives up.

He misses real food. He misses Severin's baking, and ice cream, and being able to go out for cocktails with his friends. He misses being able to live without constantly stressing over what's going in his mouth. It's not worth it.

Severin looks delighted when Richard breaks out a tub of Ben and Jerry's. Richard can see the way he's observing him, but Severin doesn't dare mention it at risk of offending.

“I quit my diet today,” Richard says.

“Oh,” Severin replies, trying to sound surprised. Richard laughs.

“Yeah, I've decided to adapt a new exercise plan instead.”

Severin's expression falls.

“You see,” Richard continues. “I hear sex is quite the calorie burner. So I'm just going to have to do that a lot. Should work, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” Severin grins. “Definitely.”

He keeps up the yoga, though. With his increased flexibility, he's looking forward to trying out _lots_ of new positions.

 

 


End file.
